RZSS Lead UK Zoos in Signing the #UnitedForBiodiversity Coalition

Posted By : The Animal Facts Editorial Team

Date: February 27, 2021 12:10 am

The beaver has become a protected species in Scotland

Photo Credit: RZSS

The Royal Zoological Society of Scotland have led UK Zoological Societies as they joined the European Commission Global Coalition #UnitedForBiodiversity, ahead of the UN Biodiversity Conference CoP15 later this year.

RZSS have become one of 150 institutions and 25 organizations which have already pledged their support to #UnitedForBiodiversity. They are the first UK zoological society to lend their support to the initiative.

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David Field, Royal Zoological Society of Scotland CEO, said, “We are proud to join this growing list of international organisations standing together on behalf of biodiversity across the globe.”

“Our planet is facing an extinction crisis, with scientists warning that one million species are on the brink of disappearing. The UN Biodiversity Conference offers an opportunity to set new goals and transform our relationship with nature for the better.”

“We hope more organisations will join our charity in becoming #UnitedForBiodiversity, and that global leaders will be ambitious in their targets at CoP15.”

Chimpanzees in the Budongo forest in East Africa have benefited from conservation work led by RZSS

Photo Credit: RZSS

#UnitedForBiodiversity was launched by the EU Commissioner for the Environment, Oceans and Fisheries, Virginijus Sinkevičius on World Wildlife Day 2020 (March 3rd 2020). The program is a call for zoos, aquariums, botanic gardens, national parks, research centres, science and natural history museums around the world to raise their voices for nature.

RZSS have worked to safeguard species both at home and abroad from extinction. This includes restoring the Scottish wildcat population at home and protecting chimpanzees in Uganda.

The upcoming CoP15 summit will bring together heads of state, policy makers and scientists to adopt a new global framework to protect and restore nature. It is scheduled for later in 2021.